Conservative MP for Winchester, Steve Brine, to stand down at the next general election

The Conservative MP for Winchester and Chandler's Ford, Steve Brine, has announced he will leave the House of Commons at the next General Election.

Mr Brine, who was first elected in 2010, said it was time to consider a “new chapter” in his life.

He announced his decision in a letter to the Chairman of the Winchester Conservative Association.

He said: “When I first entered Parliament I had in my mind to serve for twenty years - or four General Elections - whichever came first.

“This wasn’t a hard and fast rule, and I don’t think anyone could have predicted the events of the past thirteen years, but it feels like the right time now, for both myself and the family.

“Going forward, I feel I can pursue some of the issues I care about - in health and perhaps elsewhere - outside Parliament as well as within.

“During my time as our MP, Susie and I have had two wonderful children and I’ve put my heart and soul into doing the job. My team and I have done tens of thousands of pieces of casework to-date and that quietly remains the bedrock of my work for the people I represent. But that has all come at a price; being away several nights every week, working at pace across this vast constituency when I am home plus every weekend and just the sheer intensity of this role in the modern age.”

He added; “We always think our children need us most when they’re little, and that is of course true in the most basic caring sense, but I’ve learnt they need us more as they get older. I hope, in time, to be around a little more; both for them but also for Susie who has supported me every step of the way and without whom I could never have done any of this.”

The MP said he would serve his constituents across Winchester and Chandler’s Ford “until the very last day of this current Parliament” and added “until then it’s business as usual”.

His announcement follows an investigation by Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Daniel Greenberg.

It comes following claims he lobbied the head of the NHS on behalf of a firm for which he was working as a paid consultant.

This is a developing story. More to follow.